CLUT: Cycle Last Used Tabs icon

CLUT: Cycle Last Used Tabs

Extension Actions

CRX ID
cobieddmkhhnbeldhncnfcgcaccmehgn
Status
  • Extension status: Featured
  • Live on Store
Description from extension meta

Cycle through last used Chrome tabs using keyboard shortcut.

Description from store

This extension tries to mimic the ALT+TAB behavior from Windows(or Command+TAB in Mac) to allow to switch between open tabs in a Most Recently Used fashion.
It remembers the order in which you switched tabs (made a tab active) and it updates its records so that you can switch to the recently used ones quickly.

Note: Sometimes after updating the extension the keyboard shortcut settings get reset. Hence you might want to set the desired keyboard shortcuts again in the keyboard shortcut settings in the Chrome Extensions page.
Alternatively, navigate to chrome://extensions/shortcuts from your address bar to change shortcuts.

Please rate and comment.

The project is made open source in GitHub:
https://github.com/harshayburadkar/clut-chrome-extension.git

Default Keys*:
ALT+W: Quick switch
ALT + S: Normal switch
ALT + Shift + S: Normal switch (in opposite direction)
*Keys can be changed in keyboard shortcut settings on the Chrome extensions page.

=Quick switch=:
Use for rapid switching to last tab (by pressing once) or to the second to last used tab(by pressing rapidly twice) and so on.

=Normal switch=:
Use when you want to look for a tab recently used but when you would want to go in a slower pace (needing to glimpse for a bit to see if it is the page you need)

Most other extensions meant to accomplish the same thing don’t work well since there are some limitations/difficulties in the Chrome API. This extension uses some basic algorithms and timers of intervals between key presses to get over these problems. That is the reason there is separate keys for quick and slower switches with different timer settings.

Features:
* Can cycle through ALL open tabs from all Chrome windows in a most recently used order
* Extension DOES NOT need access to any of your visited website's data
* Can work through tabs across different Chrome windows
* Snappy and fast switches

FAQ:

- Why are there two sets of shortcuts one for quick switch and one for a slower switch. Isn’t it possible to simplify like ALT+TAB behavior ?
A: There are some restrictions in Chrome API which makes it difficult to implement this feature in the most natural way. The intention was to make this extension work as close to Alt+Tab in Windows (or Cmd+Tab for Mac). Unfortunately due to these limitations though, this extension relies on time intervals in between your key presses. That is the reason there is a concept of quick switch (faster timer) and a normal switch (slower timer).

- Where can I change the shortcut key for switching tabs ?
A: To change shortcut, go to the Extensions pane in your Chrome browser. Press the menu icon
and find the Keyboard Shortcuts option in the list. You can change keyboard shortcuts of your installed extensions and apps here.

Alternatively, you can access and change extension keyboard shortcuts by going to this special address from your browser address bar.
chrome://extensions/shortcuts

Note: Few shortcuts may be not allowed to be set by Chrome if Chrome itself uses that shortcut or the shortcut is needed for system level operations.

Feel free to post feedback, comments and suggestions.

Latest reviews

Robert Roßkopf
Quite good. But it only switches to the tab that has previously been pulled in foreground. If you only activate a tab (in a different window) this won't be recognized as a tab to switch to. 🤷🏼‍♂️
Ramkumar
Most useful extension I have used. Been using this for years now. Google should just add this feature by default.
Amrit Lal
finally, the extension i had been looking for all my life!
Mina Luke
This is working perfectly fine in Chrome. However, I recently switched to use Dia browser and installed this extension and it works fine only when I click on the extension icon but not when I use keyboard shortcut! Any idea what could be the issue?
Matt
Thank you for fixing that bug that broke the extension. It's back to working again and this makes life so much easier.
Jay Sathiya
IT is working very well
Shreya Panengaden
Where good extension does what it says and definitely improves the effeciency!
Emmett Gallagher
Great app, use it all the time. To the developers, you are probably aware, but it's causing a switch between windows again (maybe after a period of time)? The patch fixed it, but now it's behaving like that again.
Terrence-Monroe: Brannon
Just what the doctor ordered.
Marcel Bueno
Very useful!
Bar Rozenman
great
Nikola Mihajlovic
The last update broke the extension. It works if you want to go back to the last tab right away, but as soon as you do something else for a minute it will go to the last tab of the last open window. Please fix. EDIT: fixed now. Please consider making ctrl+tab and ctrl+shift+tab as default shortcuts. Thank you
Gaspard van Koningsveld
Awesome extension that I used for years! Update: Issue is fixed! It now remembers my tab list just like before. Thank you for the quick fix!
Louis Yang
Update v2.1: the issue seem fixed! Thanks for the quick fix! Update 2025 March: The app don't cycle through tabs in the Chrome browser anymore, instead it cycles through Chrome app windows... Please fix that!!!!
Louis Yang
Update v2.1: the issue seem fixed! Thanks for the quick fix! Update 2025 March: The app don't cycle through tabs in the Chrome browser anymore, instead it cycles through Chrome app windows... Please fix that!!!!
Eric Xu
seems like the bug of switching to the second-to-last tab is now fixed! thanks!
Mitch Schwartz
You're one of my favorite plugins, this and dark mode are the first 2 I install. Lately I am getting a new tab open when you update, and it's disruptive, since I have this installed on 3 devices X 2-3 profiles. I would love if you just showed a badge in your icon, or at least gave me the option disable this somewhat intrusive popup which I end up seeing 7-8 times.
Edward Brown
Was good until a recent update. Tab order now seems random. Edit: This issue has now been fixed, so edited my rating from 2 to 4. Thank you!
Maciej Goldsztejn
Same as others, something is wrong as of a recent update....
Tapiwa Chikwanda
Was working perfectly on MS Edge with Workspaces, until the last update. Completely broken. Switches to a new window every time I use it. Please release the old version as a separate extension so that we can choose which one to use.
Aurelion
As others have said, something is wrong as of a recent update. It behaves differently. It sometimes works but seems inconsistent. I think it has to do with how it switches to other chrome windows instead of sticking to one, and how pressing it repeatedly seems to continues to older tabs (2nd most recent then 3rd then 4th etc.), rather than switching back to the first. Edit: Nvm it's not just the changed functionality. It's definitely broken. Sometimes it goes off on random tabs I haven't opened in ages (I have lots open).
Maciej
Worked great until the latest update. Tab order seems random now.
Jordan Whelan Clarke
My favourite extension and now it's broke, PLEASE FIX IT
Eduardo Augusto
It does the trick
Heron Silva
I work with many open tabs all the time and this extension has been a great help. The last update made things a bit weird, but I see the maintainer is working on a fix.
Sanchit Kumawat
This is broken in the last update!
Ty Smith
I used to love this extension. It worked perfectly fine. Then the recent update ruined it. I work fast paced in multiple tabs, constantly having to copy and paste from tab to tab. Now switching between past tabs will sometimes take me to another opened window. It's now become quicker to use mouse clicks than to use this extension. Please allow a separate option for 2 - 4 tabs. I see some others might need this. I just need a back and forth from just the last tab I visited. And especially take out the option to switch to a different window. Or at the very least make it a feature you can turn on or off. I am constantly taken to a new window of tabs I haven't touched in a while. Meaning I have to click on the tab I want to go to. Defeating the purpose of the extension. Once again, the last version was perfect. This version made me turn it off until it's updated in Chrome.
Jeff
The recent update has broken its traditional MRU (it does not operate the same) which means I have ot relearn how to get it to work for me. The change is costing me significant time. I'd like the old behavior back. Option w (on mac) no longer consistently swaps between recent tabs. I cannot understand how the new behavior is good. Searching for a new solution
Philipp Dangl (Phipsl)
This extension is such a game changer. I love to switch between the last two tabs around. I use it daily in my work as a software engineer and it increases my productivity. Thank you developers for maintaining and developing it further. *;,,;*
Miles Mitchell
So awesome this is back. I even PAID for an alternative and then came back to CLUT once I heard it was back. Only one with the quick switch feature to toggle between 2-4 different tabs rather than only 2 like its competitors. Way to go Harshay 👏
Jay Gillibrand
Essential for keyboard navigation. I don't like that it switches tabs between windows (it should be a MRU list for the current window only), but it still work better than any alternative I've tried.
Nick Way
Used this for years - thank you so much. It seems Chrome is recommending we uninstall it now due to it no longer being supported. Sorry if that is the case but thank you for all the saved keystrokes over the years! ** update - developer has updated so Chrome is happy again - nice one Developer! thank you :) **
Igor Yastrebov
the best plugin in this area. With 2.0 one issue identified: it often switch across different chrome windows instead of tabs within one window. That was not the case with prev. version. Please test/fix (professional software dev signed)
sumit singh
Thanks a lot for upgrading the extension, I was missing it a lot. Didn't know that the code is open-source also, will check it out and contribute. Github- https://github.com/harshayburadkar/clut-chrome-extension.git
Jason Feinsmith
This extension is by far the most used extension I have in my Chrome browser. I recommend it to everyone. When I thought this was going to deprecate, I got really worried. Then I saw it got an update to be compatible with the latest Chrome changes today 3/12/2025. Sweet!! Thank you. This thing is so useful I'm going to ask the developer how I can make a donation. Actions speak louder than words!
Alan Earle
The extension I use the most is no longer available!!! BUT: Just click "got it" and turn it back on. Fixed!
Pascal Nordgren Timshel
This is an essential extension - please bring it back <3
Aliaksei V
Please update so it's not considered abandoned by google store. Thank you so much for this excellent extension.
Charbel Segerie
My favorite extension. But it's no longer supported. What happened?
Eugeny Gorbachev
Dear Harshay, could you please update your fabulous extension. Chrome Web Store dictate it's rules.
Tomáš Bzdušek
Worked absolutely flawlessly until turned off by Chrome Web Store :-/
Pablo Andrés Olmos De Aguilera
Sadly, stopped working today. There are various options, but a few asks for weird permissions. This one seemed right: (Previous Tab) https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/previous-tab/bjaniflnlhhofabpoamhnobeonjcjjpl
Maksim Savrilov
the best
Garfunkel leknufrag
Please open source this so we can at least run locally if Google decides to shut it down
Richard Simpson
Despite chrome recommending uninstall, I simply selected "Got it" and then turned the extension back on. If someone finds a similar worthy extension please post. I will do the same. Hopefully the developer will update to follow best practices and keep this awesome extension alive.
Javad
Works well but removed one star because it couldn't come up with a way to set ctlr+tab as shortcut. Or at least point users to a work around like below in the descriptions. Anyway a brilliant guy has a solution for that here https://superuser.com/posts/1326712/revisions and life has just got a little easier now
Simon Boddy
Absolutely great. Can't live without it. I've been using for a number of years without problems. I kept the default alt-S shortcut. Life's too short.
Tom Grabowski
Awesome extension. Please update it so that we can continue using it!
Maxim
Worked just right. Toda has stopped working following the latest Chrome update.
vishnesuyu
It is working properly. Nice app.